This afternoon, apart from our visit to Nijo-jo Castle (二条城), we didn’t have much on our agenda. Built by the powerful Tokugawa family in the 1600s, the castle symbolizes the shogunate's authority over the imperial court.
Despite the scorching heat in Kyoto, we decided it was finally time to put our plan into motion and explore this World Heritage Site and former imperial villa.
Entering through the Higashi Ote-mon ("Grand East Gate", 東大手門), we were greeted by the magnificent Karamon (唐門), the main gate to Ninomaru-goten Palace (二の丸御殿), a stunning example of Edo-period architectural and artistic excellence.
As we strolled around the serene pond garden, we admired the beautifully sculpted rocks and pine trees that framed the landscape.
Unfortunately, the castle itself was closed for the day, so we could only wander around the inner moat and stone walls.
The heat was becoming unbearable, so we decided to take a break at Sabo Maeda (茶房 前田), located in the historic teahouse "Warakuan" (和楽庵).
At this point, everyone could certainly use a refreshing drink.
The ancient teahouse is situated right in front of "Seiryuen" (清流園), a Japanese-Western style garden within the castle grounds.
I had seen pictures of Sabo Maeda with its windows wide open, offering a lovely view of the adjacent garden, but unfortunately, all the windows were slammed shut today.
Regardless, I was just happy to have a glass of iced matcha latte in hand.
Jelloman and I had been dreaming about this visit to Nijo-jo Castle for at least a decade, so it felt great to finally check it off our list. Now, it was time to retreat indoors, as some of us were at risk of dehydration!
Price: ￥￥￥
Address: 541 Nijojocho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8301, Japan
Closest Metro Station: Nijojo-mae
Tel: +81 (0)75 823-0223
Opening Hours: 9:30am - 4:00pm daily
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